2:30 pm

Wed September 12, 2012

Paul Thorn On Mountain Stage

Iconoclastic singer-songwriter Paul Thorn makes his seventh appearance on Mountain Stage, recorded live in Huntington, W.V. Charismatic, insightful and funny, Thorn sometimes describes himself as "the second most famous singer from Tupelo, Mississippi." Thorn, who can't help but wear his rural upbringing on his sleeve, was once a successful prizefighter who knocked down Robert Duran in the ring.

As a musician and showman, Thorn came to rely upon the oratory skills he learned from his father, an evangelical preacher — as well as his uncle, a pimp. The result is a sound once described as "taking a six-pack to church."

Thorn's latest album, a collection of lesser-known cover tunes by some of his favorite artists, is called What the Hell Is Going On and includes songs written by Buddy Miller, Lindsey Buckingham and Ray Wylie Hubbard. This segment includes "She's Got a Crush on Me," written by Donnie Fritts, which wasn't heard in the radio broadcast.

This Mountain Stage performance was originally published on Sept. 12, 2012.